Page:The Bohemian Review, vol2, 1918.djvu/144

 them from the old country, and their rebellion against the Catholic Church, a rebellion that so often takes the form of hostility to religion as such. When the story goes on to describe the young hero’s college career, it loses in interest. But it is excellently written throughout and the portraits of the hero and especially of old Zabransky are very convincing.

The book has a great interest for people of Czechoslovak descent and we recommend it to them very warmly.

July 21st was the third anniversary of the martyrdom of Cesare Battisti, deputy from the Trentino to the Vienna Parliament, who upon the outbreak of the war between Italy and Austria joined his people and being captured by the Austrians was shot as a traitor. He was the first martyr out of the thousands who have since been put to death by the Austrian barbarians of which noble company the 300 Czechoslovaks soldiers executed in June were the very flower.

The Washington office of the Czechoslovak National Council addressed to the Italian Ambassador on this occasion a letter which pointed to the many ties connecting Bohemia with Italy and assured the Ambassador of the deep gratitude of the Czechoslovaks for Italian help.

The Ambassador answered in following words:

“I am touched by your letter commemorating the martyrdom of Cesare Battisti in the light of the preentpresent [sic] sacrifice of the noble Czechoslovak lives for the same ideal that animated him.

“While thanking you for having honored his memory in these days when the struggle is harder than ever, I wish to express my reverent admiration for your brave countrymen who are giving the world a splendid evidence of their self-sacrificing courage and patriotism.

“Indeed the cruel sufferings inflcted upon them by the common enemy create an additional bond of friendship between Italians and Czechoslovaks; their joint efforts, made the stronger by the indignation by the barbarous treatment received at the hands of their foes, cannot fail to hasten the day of the final liberating victory.